Fastening device.



EDWARD ERICKSN, OF BEVERLY. 'MASSACHUSETTS i FASTENING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 23. 1910.

Application led Hay 12, 1909. Serial No. 495,473.

To all whom. 'it may concern: l' Y Be it known that I, EDWARD ERICKSON, a

i p citizen of theUnited States, residing in Beverly, county of Essex, and State of Massaehnse ts, have invented an Improvement in Fastening Devices, of` which the following description, in connection with the-accompanying drawings, is a specification, like let ters `on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention .relates to a separable button especially designed and adapted among Vother uses to be employed on automobiles and other vehicles as a fastening device for the curtains, flaps, etc.

The present mvention has for its object. to provide a simple, inexpensive and efficient button or fastening device, comprising members which are capable of being intel-locked so as to securely fasten the members together and which are'capable of being read-- ily unlocked and disengaged from each other.

The members of the fastening device or button may be designated the male and female members, the male member in accordance with this invention being composed of two parts, one of which is movable longitudinally with respect to the other, in one direetionv to permit the female member to be locked in engagement therewith, and which is moved in the opposite direction to permit the disengagement or release of said female member. l

Thes'e and other features, of this invention will be pointed out in the claims at the end of this specification.

Figure 1 1s an elevation of a separable' button or fasteninflr device embodying this invention in norma position.- Fig. 2, a vertical section of Fig. l on an enlarged scale. Fig. 3, a like section with the parts of the male member in the position they assume when the female member is to be disengaged therefrom. F i". 4, a plan of the female member shown in F ig. l. Figs. 5 and 6, are

modifications to be referred to.

Referring to the drawings and es ecially Figs. 1, 2 and 3, a represents the ma e member and b the femalemember of a separable -button -:.r fastening device embodying this invention. 1n tnv preferred embodiment of i the invention, shown 1n Alg-gs., 1, 2 and 3, the

male member a is composed o1 Iwo parts 2, 3, the part. 2 being marie as a hollo post or stud having a bottom flange 4, which :0 de- The part 3 of the male member is composed of a shank portion fitted inte and movable longitudinally in the hollow postor stud 2, and ahead 7 attached to sald shank, said head in the construction shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, being made larger than the internal diameter of the hollow stud or post and of substantially the external diameter of the same, and said head is provided with an upwardly and inwardly inclined under surface 8, which coperates with a correspondingly inclined surface 9 on the outer or upper end ofthe postor stud 2, for a purpose as will be described. The part 3 is longitudinally movable in the post or stud 2 and provision is made for limiting it in such movement, which may be accomplished as shown in Figs. 2 and 3 by means of a pin or projection 10 on the post 2, whichl is extended into a slot 12 in the shank 3. The female member b, which is fastened to the movable part of the vehicle, such for instance, as a curtain or flap 15 is provided with spring arms 16, which are designed to engage the male member and to be locked thereto as will be described. The spring arms 16, as shown in Fin'. 4 are made in the forni of levers ivoted within a shell or easing 20, having prongs or projections 21, which extend through a bottom plate or washer 22 for the said shell or casing and through a second plate or washerv 23, between'which and the washer 22, the curtain 15 or other fabric or material is secured. The casing or shell 20, the curtain 15, and the washers 22, 23, are

provided with suitable holes or openings in them, for the passage of the male member, and the arms 16 are normally projected into vthe path of the male member by springs 25,

which may be soldered or otherwise secured to the shell 2O and arms 16, or which may be simply interposed bet-Ween the said arms and the shell 20.

In operation with the fastening device shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, the parts of the male member are normally in thc position shown in Fig. 3, and the female member is disengaged from the male member.L When it is desired to secure the curtain 15 to the frame 5, the female member is pressed over themale member with the parts of the latter in the position just described and shown in Fig. 2, with sufficient force to spread the signal to be riveted or otherwise fastened if# l arms 16 apart and carry them beyond the the stationary partl 5 of the vehicle, such for l cud of the hollow post 2, after winch the.

swY

female member is moved backward or in the reverse direction as 1f to remove 1t from the male member, which action causes the* part 3 of the male member to be moved longitudinally out of the hollow post until arrested by thcpin 10 striking the lower end of the slot 12, by reason of the factthatthe upper portions of the arms 16, which are pressed by their springs in frictional engagement with the hollowl post 2, engage the head 7 with suiiicient friction to car.` the said headwith the female member until the head 7 is moved away from the end of the post 2 a snfiicient distance to forni a .recess or space of a width which will receive the arms 16, and as soon as this space is formed, the springs 25 force the arms 16 into the same and beneath the head 7, as

represented in Fig. 2, so that said arms become interlocked with the head 7, and further backward movementA of the female member is preventedr by the head 7, which at such time has reached the limit of its ontward movement, it being arrested by the pin 10 engaging the bottom wall of the slot 12, as represented in Fig. 2. The two members of the fastening device are thus secured against accidental disengagement. cilitate the movement of the head 7 away from the end of the hollow post, thev outer edge of the head may be beveled` slightly toleave a groove or small annular channel 30 around the male member in the closed or normal position of the parts 2,3,of the saine, (see Fig. 3), so that the spring arms 16 may effectively engage the head. While it may be preferred to form t-he annular groove 3Q, it may be omitted. The female member remains locked to the male member until positively disengaged therefrom by the operator. To disengage the female member, it is moved longitudinally toward the post 2 so as to engage the arms 16 with the inclined end 9 of the post, and on further movement of the female member, the iiiclined end 9 acts as a wedge to spread apart the spring arms 16 until the latter engage the exterior surface of the post. 'The part. 3 of the male member is also movedinto the hollow post until the head 7 engages the inclined end of the. post as represented. in Fig. 3, and said head is retained in this position by the operator while the female member is moved backward until the spring arms 16 pass into engagement with the head 7, after which the female member may be withdrawn from engagement with the head. If, however, the pressure is removed from the head 7 before the arms 16 'have passed beyond the'lower edge of said head, the spring arms 16 will engage the lower edge of the head. and separate it from the end ofthe post, and the arms 16 will bc again forced into the space between the end of the post and the head. The disengagement of the spring arms'lG from the underside of the Y The engagement and disengagement of the femalemember with and from the male member may be accomplished by one hand, for to engage the same, it is only necessary to press the female member over the male member, and to disenga'g'ge the same, the first and second ngers of the hand may be passed under lthe female member and straddle the hollow post of the male member, while the thumb is pressed upon the head 7 to prevent it being moved with the female member as the latter is forced by the fingers olf of the post and over the headuntil the arms 16 pass the lower edge of the said head. n

t may be referred to make the fastening device like t at shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, but it is not desired to limit the invention in this respect, as the head V7 may be made of sutliciently small diameter to enter the hollow post, in'which case the said head may be connected to the shank 3 by an inwardly inclined portion 32, which is connected byV in Fi 5 wherein the said arms are reprey sente as integral with a spring rodAO.

The action of the construction shown in Fig. 6, is substantially the same as that with the construction shown'in Figs. and 2, for

' it will be seen that the inclined walls or sur.

faces 32, 33 form recesses, which erinit the arms 16, to pro]ect through the s ots 34 in the hollowpost 2 and engage the upper walls of the same to lock the female member to the male member. When it is desired to unlock the members 'of the device, the head 7 is pressed upon to move it longitudinali intoy the hollow post, which action causes t e inclmed surfaces 32 to act/as cams or wedges and forcethe sprin -actuated arms 16 -out of the slots 34 sufficiently far to enable the female member to be readily pulled oi of the hollow post or stud 2.

Claims,

1. In a fastening device of the character described, in combinatioma male member comprising a hollow post or stud having its v iso i ing a head provided with an inclined under surface. cooperating withr the inclined surface ofthe hollow post or stud, means within saidy hollow post for limiting the movement of saidA shank in said post, and a female member having an opening through it for the passage of the head lof the said shank and provided within it with spring-actuated arms capable of entering the space-betweeny the head and the post of the male member tov lock the female member to the male member, andv to be forced outwardly by longitudinal movement of the head toward the hollow post to permit them to engage the exterior of the hollow post or shtudand enable the female member to be disengaved fromthe v male member, substantially as described.

2. lIna fastening device of the character described, 11i combination, a male member comprising a hollow post or stud, a shank movable longitudinally in said hollow post oi' stud and provided with a head having an f inclined sui-face, means within the hollow .post forl limiting the movement of said shank. in said post, a female member having an opening through it .for the passage ofthe hollow post, of the male member and provided with spring-actuated arms to engage the said head to lock the female member to the male member and coperating with the inclined surface of said head to be expanded `by the movement of the said head-toward said hollow post to permit the said arms to vengage the exterior of said hollow ost and enable said arms to be unlocked rom the male member, said arms having rounded surfaces which contact with the exterior of .the hollow post and with the head to permit the female member to be removed without rengagcment with said head, substantially as described.

3.111 a fastening device of the character described, in combination, a male member comprising a hollow part 'and a partl movable longitudinally in said hollowA part and having an inclined surface, means Within the hollow` part for limiting the movement of the part inserted into it, and'a female member having an opening. through it of larger diameter than the hollow part of said male member, and a spring-actuated device capable of locking engagement with the male member in one position of the parts of said male member, andcoperating with the inf clined surface of the longitudinally movable part of saidmale member to be forced outwardly thereby into position to engage the exterior surface of the hollow part of the Vmale member preparatory to the female' member being disengaged Vfrom the male member, substantially as described.

4. In a fastening device'of the character described, in combination, a male member comprising a hollow post or stud, and a.

shank movable in said hollow post or stud and having ahead provided with an inclined surface, a pin and slot connection between said hollow post or studand said f shank, av f eniale member having an opening through 1t of a size which permits the female-member to be moved longitudinally on said hollow post, and a spring-actuated device carried by said female member and cooperating with the head of said shank member to lock the female member to said male member, and with said inclined sur- I face to be forced outwardly into position to` engage the exterior surface of said hollow 

